ipco’s heat exchanger plugs seal leaking tubes safer and ... · [email protected] editorial...

M A I N T E N A N C E S A F E T Y M AT E R I A L S F U T U R E S O L U T I O N S

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In this issue...

14 End-User Interview I

18 Maintenance

23 End-User Interview II

27 Safety

31 Materials

IPCO’s heat exchanger plugs seal

leaking tubes safer and quicker

Stainless Steel Weld Finishing System

®

TIGBRUSH.COM

BEFORE AFTER

Austrailian Office:+61 2 4735 7700United States Office:+1 630 851 2126

TIG Brush™ Proven Technology with Added Power for Stainless Steel Weld Finishing

3www.managingagingplants.com

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Volume 4, Issue 1, January/February 2018

Providing industry with safe and sustainable

operations for the future

www.managingagingplants.com

EditorJolanda Heunen

[email protected]

Editorial Team (print & online)Candace Allison

[email protected] (Canada)James Chater

[email protected] (France)Gillian Gane

[email protected] (The Netherlands)Joanne McIntyre

[email protected] (The Netherlands)Melina Schnaudt

[email protected] (Germany)David Sear

[email protected] (The Netherlands)Laura Wang

[email protected] (China)

Advertising contact (print & online)Nicole Nagel

[email protected]

Subscriptions (print & online)Erica Riethorst

[email protected]

Managing Aging Plants is published six times per year and is available by subscription. ISSN: 2468-046X

Publishing DirectorNicole Nagel

[email protected]

Publishing HouseKCI GmbH

Tiergartenstr. 64,D - 47533 Kleve

GermanyTel: +49 2821 71145 0

Fax: +49 2821 71145 [email protected]

www.kci-world.com

V.i.S.d.P.*Thijs Elshof

[email protected]

The Netherlands Offi ce:KCI Publishing BV

Jacob Damsingel 17NL-7201 AN Zutphen

The NetherlandsTel: +31 575 585 270Fax: +31 575 511 099

[email protected]

Canada Offi ce:KCI Publishing Corp.

36 King St E, Suite 701Toronto, ON M5C 1E5, Canada

Tel: +1 416 361 7030Fax: +1 416 361 6191

[email protected]

China Offi ce:KCI Shanghai

Room 603, 6F, #400 Zhejiang Mid.Road, 200001, Shanghai, China

Tel: +86-21-6351 9609Fax: +86-21-6351 9607

[email protected]

The publishers and the authors state that this magazine has been compiled meticulously and to the best of their knowledge, however, the publisher and the authors can

in no way guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information. The publisher and authors therefore do not accept any liability for any damage resulting from actions or decisions based on the information in question. Users of this magazine

are strongly advised not to use this information solely, but to rely on their professional knowledge and experience, and to check the information to be used. KCI Publishing

cannot guarantee the accuracy of information provided by participating companies and authorities. The publisher reserves

the right to combine, delete and change sections.

The publisher reserves the right to edit and re-use (parts of) the articles and to distribute the information by any means. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

Managing Aging Plants is a trademark of Technical Business Publications B.V. – registered under number 08084150 and holding company of the KCI group of companies. TBP BV,

Donald Wiedemeyer (CEO), PO Box 67, 6680 AB Lingewaard, The Netherlands.

*Verantwortlich im Sinne des Presserechts (German for ‘legally responsible for content’).

©2018 All rights reserved.

Editorial

Best regards,

Jolanda Heunen

Editor Print & Online

[email protected]

Dear readers

A new year has started and this naturally

means the start of a new series of Managing

Aging Plants magazine. Six magazines

packed with loads of informational – and

hopefully also entertaining – articles are

ahead of you, for you to enjoy reading, take

with you whilst traveling, and of course

discuss with colleagues.

You are currently looking at the fi rst issue

of 2018, in which we focus with the Cover

Story on IPCO B.V., a Dutch manufacturer of

tube plugs that is already well known in the

Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg),

and is conquering the rest of Europe as well.

Further in this edition – in addition to articles

that focus on Maintenance, Safety and Materials – you will fi nd not just one, but two

end-user interviews. David Sear travelled to Finland to catch up with Mrs. Sari Musch,

Material and Inspection Specialist at the Neste refi nery in Porvoo. And Candace Allison

and Sarah Bradley spoke with Mr. John Backus, Nuclear Training Instructor with the

Arizona Public Service Company.

Looking aheadTo already give you a sneak preview, in the March/April edition you can read an in-

depth article provided by Senseye, about preventative vs. predictive maintenance and

the role of Industry 4.0 in this respect. Further, our Editor Deirdre Morgan had the

pleasure of speaking with Larry Wilkerson, who is Supervisor of Air Fugitives at the

Golden Eagle Refi nery in Contra Costa County, California. You can read what they

talked about in the End-User Interview Deirdre is currently writing up.

In addition, for the next issue of the magazine, we especially welcome articles that

focus on managing aging plants in Japan, as this edition will also be distributed at the

Managing Aging Plants Japan Conference & Expo that will again be held in Tokyo,

Japan, in June of this year. As always, I encourage you to get in contact when you

wish to contribute a (technical) article, case study, news item, research results, or col-

umn, as well as in the case you would like to pitch an idea for other content, such as

a blog post for the Managing Aging Plants website (www.managingagingplants.com).

I look forward to hearing from you!

Advertisers’ IndexANDRITZ 40

DWF 25

EMERSON 22

ENSITECH 2

Messe Düsseldorf 33

METSO 17

PA Inc. 21

Schmidt+Clemens 39

TOBSTEEL 9

4 www.managingagingplants.com

Pressure Safety

4managingagingplants.com

Upcoming Events

Upcoming EventsTopics that are addressed at ACHEMA 2018 include fl exible

production, chemical- & pharma logistics, materials and mate-

rial processing, mixing and separation technology, and biotech

for chemistry.

Location: Frankfurt, Germany

www.achema.de/en

19 – 22 June 2018

AUTOMATICA 2018

This event for smart automation and robotics features a

large range of assembly systems, machine vision systems,

components, and of course robotics. The event focuses

on future-proof solutions for manufacturing high-quality

products as well as digital transformation in manufactur-

ing, human-robot collaboration, industry 4.0 and service

robotics.

Location: Munich, Germany

www.automatica-munich.com

17 – 20 September 2018

GASTECH 2018

The Gastech Exhibition & Conference forms a meet-

ing place for the global gas, LNG, and energy industries.

Upstream, midstream, and downstream gas and LNG

professionals from around the globe gather in Barcelona,

Spain to do business. Gastech hosts major NOCs, IOCs,

integrated energy companies, service companies, global

utilities, EPC contractors, shipbuilders, pipeline companies,

manufacturers and technology providers, who all play an

active role in the global energy value chain.

Location: Barcelona, Spain

www.gastechevent.com

19 – 20 September 2018

MAP China

In September 2018, the inaugural Managing Aging Plants

(MAP) China will be held in conjunction with Fugitive

Emissions China 2018. At the Shanghai International

Convention Center various topics will be addressed both

at the conference and the expo, such as materials & corro-

sion, turnaround management, asset reliability, and future

solutions.

Location: Shanghai, China


15 – 19 April 2018

Corrosion 2018

This comprehensive conference is packed with technical

education and knowledge exchange plus opportunities to

connect with industry experts and peers focused on the

prevention and mitigation of corrosion worldwide.

Location: Phoenix, AZ, United States

www.nacecorrosion.org

16 - 20 April 2018

Tube & Wire 2018

The Tube and Wire trade shows, which are run in parallel

in Düsseldorf, Germany, bring together a large number of

exhibitors from around the world.

Location: Düsseldorf, Germany

www.tube-tradefair.com

23 – 27 April 2018

IAMD

IAMD at the Hannover Messe in Germany is the trade fair for

factory and process automation, systems solutions, indus-

trial IT, power transmission and control. Main exhibit sectors

include robotics, mechanical engineering, signal devices,

software solutions, wireless automation, M2M communica-

tion, industrial communication, and plant engineering.

Location: Hannover, Germany

www.hannovermesse.de

07 – 08 June 2018

MAP Japan 2018

Managing Aging Plants (MAP) Japan will be held for the

second time in Tokyo, Japan in the spring of 2018. The

Conference & Expo that are organised at the National

Museum of Emerging Science & Innovation provide the

perfect platform for sharing knowledge and experience

regarding the practical aspects of managing aging plants in

Japan.

Location: Tokyo, Japan

www.plantenmei.com

11 – 15 June 2018

ACHEMA

ACHEMA is the world forum for chemical engineering and the

process industry, held every three years in Frankfurt, Germany. Jan

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Contents

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Editor’s page .... 3

Upcoming Events .... 4

Industry Update .... 6

Company Updates .... 35

End-User InterviewCommunications: a ‘must-have’ tool for a materials engineerBy David Sear .... 14

End-User InterviewTraining the nuclear industry’s next generation of workersBy Candace Allison and Sarah Bradley .... 23

SafetyTreating the cause and not the symptomsBy Bernd Rastatter and Andre Günther .... 27

MaterialsChallenges with shaft alignment in chemical-transfer applications?By Geoff VanLeeuwen .... 31

MaintenanceOxifree tackles corrosionBy Jolanda Heunen .... 18

IPCOBy Jolanda Heunen

IPCO B.V. is a Ducth company that specializes in pipeline

equipment. Based in Dordrecht, The Netherlands, where

they manufacture their IPCO plugs which are then distributed

to companies in the Benelux and more and more

companies in the rest of Europe as well. .... 10

Cover story


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6

Industry Update

Pöyry secures engineer services assignment from Sdn Bhd

Southern Power Generation Sdn Bhd

has awarded Pöyry with an owner’s

engineer services assignment for a

1,440 MW combined cycle power

plant in Johor, Malaysia. Southern

Power Generation is a project com-

pany established for this independent

power producer project and owned by

Malaysian state-owned power utility

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and

SIPP Energy Sdn Bhd.

The project consists of two 720 MW

natural gas-fi red combined cycle

blocks, with distillate as backup fuel.

The project also includes new 275/132

kV air insulated substation and new

132 kV gas insulated substation. The

plant will be located adjacent to the

existing Sultan Iskandar Power Station

at Pasir Gudang, Johor.

Pöyry’s assignment includes assis-

tance in project management, design

review, site supervision services, quality

assurance and quality control, com-

missioning supervision services and

services during warranty period. Pöyry

is assisted in the assignment by its

local partner, Minconsult Sdn Bhd. The

overall schedule for Pöyry’s services is

about four years.

STUK approves SGS Fimko Ltd to act as AIO

The Finnish Radiation and Nuclear

Safety Authority STUK has approved

SGS Fimko Ltd to act as Authorised

Inspection Organisation (AIO).

According to our accredited scope,

we are now able to serve all Finland-

based nuclear power plant license

holders and plant units with their

conformity inspections of compo-

nents and structures in safety classes

2 and 3.

STUK supervises nuclear power

plants during their whole life cycle.

Based on Finnish legislation, STUK

establishes safety requirements

and ensures by supervision that

the requirements are fulfi lled.

STUK has authorised inspection

organisations to conduct specifi c

parts of the supervision on its

behalf.

Jacobs wins a contract for PDH completion at Borealis

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

has been awarded a contract to com-

plete a front end engineering design

(FEED) study for a propane dehydro-

genation (PDH) plant located at the

existing Borealis production

site in Kallo, Belgium. The contract

award follows the successful comple-

tion of the feasibility study for

the plant. When complete, the

new PDH plant will have a targeted

annual production capacity of 740

kilotons, making it one of the larg-

est and most effi cient facilities in the

world.

As part of the FEED study, Jacobs is

preparing the basic design package

for both the inside battery limit areas

as well as the outside battery limit

areas of the new PDH plant. The FEED

phase is scheduled for completion by

mid-2018.

Unit 8 sets a new long-run record of 581 days

Unit 8 sets a new long-run record

recently, generating low-cost, carbon-

free electricity for its 581st straight day.

During Unit 8’s last planned outage,

Bruce Power invested USD 146 M in

inspection and maintenance activities,

as well as asset management, which

will allow the unit to operate safely to

its Major Component Replacement

(MCR) Project, scheduled to begin in

2030. The MCR will then allow the unit

to operate through to 2064.

With continued safe operations, Unit 8

has the potential to become one of the

top-performing CANDU units in his-

tory, potentially adding nearly 250 days

to its current long-run record.

During Unit 8’s planned maintenance

outage, Bruce Power Operations staff

will harvest life-saving Cobalt-60. This

Cobalt-60 will help keep hospitals safe

around the world by sterilizing medi-

cal instruments like masks, gloves and

sutures.


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7

Industry Update

BWSC with MDT build Benin’s 120 MW power plant

The Danish power plant special-

ist Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian

Contractor A/S (BWSC) in consortium

with MAN Diesel and Turbo (MDT) has

been awarded a EUR 125 M con-

tract to build a 120 MW power plant

in Benin. It constitutes the second

contract for BWSC in Western Africa

in 2017, and once completed, it will be

the most effi cient plant of its type in

the region.

The project is a complete turnkey

power plant project, which entails

construction of a whole new power

house for seven MDT dual fuel

engines and all corresponding infra-

structure. It is to be delivered within

18 months from eff ective contract.

The dual fuel HFO and gas-fi red

power plant will be located at the

Maria Gléta site, about 15 km from

the city of Cotonou. The plant will

provide enough electricity to sup-

ply the equivalent of about 300,000

European households and responds

to the government’s goal to develop

the energy sector in Benin in a

sustainable manner. This new

project is expected to signifi cantly

enhance the much needed electricity

supply to power business growth

and enhance living standards in

the peri-urban areas surrounding

Cotonou.

Wison wins Excellent Design of Construction Engineering

Wison Engineering Services Co. Ltd.

has announced that Wison Engineering

was awarded fi rst prize in the “2017

Excellent Design of Construction

Engineering” by China Association of

Construction Enterprise Management

(“CACEM”). The prize recognizes Wison

Engineering’s EPC-contracted 300 kt/a

polyethylene plant and PE/PP packag-

ing warehouse project, part of the 1.8

mt/a Methanol and 700kt/a Polyolefi n

Project owned by Pucheng Clean

Energy Chemical Co., Ltd.

Wison Engineering was responsible

for the project’s general design, basic

and detail engineering design, and

EPC management. Wison Engineering

applied the patented UNIPOLTM

PE process from UNIVATION

Technologies in USA on the project,

using polymer grade ethylene as its

main raw material.

Wison Engineering focused on quality,

implementing legal and regulatory

requirements as well as quality system

documentation. It also strengthen

coordination among various profes-

sional parties to ensure the design

quality of the plant and warehouse.

Wison Engineering also worked on an

innovative domestic balance model

of vapor phase-polyethylene process

materials.

Wison Engineering previously won the

“2016-2017 National Quality Engineering

Award” given by CACEM for its EPC

constructed work on the extension of

800 kt/a Ethylene Project for PetroChina

Fushun Petrochemical Company.

Emerson named the ‘Industrial IoT Company of the Year’

Emerson, a global automation technol-

ogy and software company, has been

named the “Industrial IoT Company

of the Year” by IoT Breakthrough. The

award recognizes Emerson’s extensive

innovation and leadership in driving

Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) tech-

nologies and strategies for customers

in manufacturing industries, including

oil and gas, food and beverage, chemi-

cal, life sciences and others.

To help overcome industrial business

challenges, Emerson has harnessed

the power of Industrial IoT for

customers through its Plantweb™

digital ecosystem to enable broader

process automation and deeper

data insights that can improve

operations.

A recent IndustryWeek survey

sponsored by Emerson revealed

that 60% of industrial companies

are exploring or investing in Industrial

IoT pilot projects, but only 5% are

investing against a clear business

case for how to best implement the

technology.

To meet this need, Emerson’s

Plantweb digital ecosystem

includes consulting services to

help customers build the best

business case, backed by a broad

portfolio of Pervasive Sensing

technologies, an extensive suite of

analytical software tools, secure and

robust data infrastructure, and expert

services.

Ethos secures a contract from ITM O&M for Umm station

EthosEnergy has been awarded

a three year contract by ITM O&M,

an ENGIE majority owned company,

for refurbishment work at the

Umm Al Nar station in

Abu Dhabi.

The work will entail full butterfl y

valve refurbishment at the station

with repair & services work

carried out at the EthosEnergy

Abu Dhabi workshop and

on-site.


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8

Industry Update

Petrofac wins a rotating equipment contract in UKCS

Petrofac has been awarded a Rotating

Equipment Management Services

contract in support of Chrysaor’s

operations in the UKCS.

Under the 12-month agreement,

Petrofac will provide fully integrated

services across Chrysaor’s Armada,

North Everest and Lomond assets in

the North Sea.

The new contract expands Petrofac’s

existing role on the assets, which

were acquired by Chrysaor in

November 2017.

A dedicated team of Petrofac engi-

neers and support staff will now pro-

vide fi eld service, equipment repairs,

material procurement and techni-

cal support requirements to ensure

operational targets for key rotating

equipment are achieved.

SCS Engineers to redevelop Brownfi eld site

SCS Engineers and SCS Field Services,

the construction division of SCS,

have begun work on a Design-Build

Agreement with the City of Union.

The agreement provides for the

maintenance, assessment, permitting,

potential remediation and construc-

tion of the former Pacifi c States Steel

Corporation (PSSC) plant site.

Performing the project in phases,

SCS will be responsible for the follow-

ing tasks: managing the operation

and maintenance of the site; provid-

ing a technical and cost analysis of

the potential to remove the exist-

ing consolidated waste to allow

for mixed-use and transit-oriented

development by the City. Additionally,

SCS is tasked with preparing the

preliminary design and cost estimates

for constructing a 1,000 stall parking

lot on the site; providing regulatory

liaison services; conducting fi eld

sampling to characterize site

materials; providing as-requested

consulting services, and performing

design-build services for parking lot

construction.

Fortum delivers turbine and generator services for BIR

Fortum will deliver turbine and gen-

erator services for BIR Avfallsenergi

AS and BKK Varme AS in Bergen.

The contract was signed on 19

December 2017. It is an 8-year

service agreement and started from

1 January 2018.

BIR and BKK are running a waste to

energy plant in Bergen, taking care

of the municipal waste and delivering

district heating. There are two incinera-

tion lines with one turbine and genera-

tor unit in each line on the plant. The

service contract includes a 24/7 techni-

cal service support.

The customer was looking for a com-

bination of services for both turbine

and generator units.

SNC signs an agreement with petro-chemical company

SNC-Lavalin is pleased to announce

that it has signed a Master Services

Agreement, with approximate

worth in excess of USD 100 M,

with one of the world’s largest

plastics, chemical and refi ning

companies.

The scope includes provision of all

engineering support for the client’s

Gulf Coast facilities. SNC-Lavalin is

one of a limited number of fi rms with

world-class expertise at scale in this

fi eld across engineering, procurement,

construction, consulting services on

cost and program management, train-

ing, and operations and maintenance.

SNC-Lavalin will utilize its downstream

capabilities to increase performance,

improve processing, and ensure a part-

nership with the client to meet their

long term goals on their facilities.

ExxonMobil, MagnaBond to collaborate

ExxonMobil Upstream Research

Company announced that it has

signed a three-year joint development

agreement with MagnaBond, LLC to

develop new technologies that could

enhance cost-eff ective evaluation of

well cementing, casing and tubing.

The agreement was facilitated by

the Industry Technology Facilitator

as part of its initiative to address

challenges associated with well

decommissioning activities such as

plugging and abandonment.

The new collaboration combines

ExxonMobil’s expertise in developing

a wide range of inspection tech-

nologies and tools with MagnaBond’s

strengths in technology transfer

and supply chain design from other

industries.

Current evaluation technology

cannot adequately characterize

cement quality through multiple

strings of casing. A well’s produc-

tion tubing must be pulled in order to

inspect the cement, resulting in addi-

tional time and expense for decom-

missioning activities. ExxonMobil

and MagnaBond will work toward

developing technology that allows

for through-tubing cement evaluation

prior to the arrival of a costly rig or

workover unit.


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9

Industry Update

TOBSTEEL GmbHwww.tobsteel.com

All directly from stock!

We are the specialist in high-quality fasteners made from

stainless high-grade steel and special materials.

We are used to extreme conditions and face the toughest

challenges on a daily basis. We never lose sight of our aim

to give the customer just what they want.

We always offer that little bit extra.

In the course of the harmonisation of standards the category

of corrosion resistance classes (CRC) has been regulated by the

Eurocode 3/DIN EN 1993-1-4, annex A. Many European countries are

therefore encouraged to consider these newly determined stainless steel

grades for the calculation and construction of steel structures.

TOBSTEEL is the only stockholder for fasteners who covers all corrosion

resistance classes (CRC) I to V according to Eurocode 3 – annex A.

sasation of stanta the categoryorysasation of stananndardards dds thethe cacategtegoryo

es ((CRCC ) has beeeen rn reguegul tlateded byby thehe

4 annnexnex A Manyy Eururoopean couuntriese areA M E

DIN 125 127 912 931 933 934 976 980 1587 7991 9021 and more

1.4571 A5

1.4462 DUPLEX

1.4529 HCR

Senseye announces 2018 upgrades

Senseye’s cloud-based

software automates analy-

sis of condition moni-

toring data and enables

advanced prognostic

capabilities, automatically

diagnosing machine

failure as well as forecast-

ing the likelihood of

future failure with a high

degree of accuracy.

By giving fast, direct

access to Remaining

Useful Life (RUL) informa-

tion without requiring the

user to have a data sci-

ence background, manu-

facturers benefi t from

up to a 40% reduction in

maintenance costs, as

well as lowered unplanned

downtime by up to 50%.

As Senseye is made avail-

able on a Software as a

Service (SaaS), every user

benefits from ongo-

ing upgrades to ensure

that their machines are

being monitoring by

leading-edge technol-

ogy. In-product enhance-

ments for 2018 include:

additional scalability

enhancements, enabling

manufacturers to moni-

tor and share the learn-

ing of remaining use-

ful life of thousands of

machines based across

multiple geographies;

new compatibility with

leading third-party indus-

trial platforms, includ-

ing GE Predix, Siemens

MindSphere and SAP

Plant Maintenance (SAP

PM), and compatibility

with the PTC ThingWorx

Marketplace™ to offer

predictive maintenance

to users of PTC’s lead-

ing ThingWorx® industrial

innovation platform.

Developments in 2018 will

include ongoing evolution

of the product’s diag-

nostics and prognostic

capabilities.

AspenTech, ProSensus signs partnership

Aspen Technology, Inc. (AZPN) has

confi rmed an Implementation Service

Provider (ISP) and training partner-

ship with ProSensus, Inc. to further

expand the implementation and use

of aspenONE® Asset Performance

Management (APM) software, including

Aspen ProMV, by global manufacturing

and process industry companies.

ProSensus has enabled fi rms in the con-

sumer packaged goods, pharmaceutical,

chemicals, metals & mining and energy

industries to optimize processes and

improve product quality. Leading com-

panies like PepsiCo, Johnson & Johnson,

ARLANXEO and Eli Lilly maintain and

maximize process and product perfor-

mance with powerful ProMV multivariate

analysis technology originally developed

by ProSensus and now embodied in

aspenONE APM software.

Aspen ProMV is part of the aspenONE

APM software suite combining big

data, machine learning, and process

modeling expertise to maximize per-

formance across the design, operation

and maintenance asset lifecycle.

Sulzer doubles capacity of performance testing

Performance testing of high voltage

motors and generators is usually car-

ried out to determine benchmark data

following a major repair. However,

increasingly, customers are requiring

this information as part of a problem

diagnosis or to verify performance

fi gures for a component when its

essential data has been lost. To keep

up with growing demand, Sulzer has

made a major investment at its Falkirk

Service Center that will enable the

test-bed load capacity to be doubled.

The new investment by Sulzer will add

a 2,000 kVA and a 700 kVA generator to

the site that will be synchronized through

a 4000A LV switchboard, as well as a

new 2,500 kVA transformer, that will

double the capacity of the test bed.

The installation of the new equipment

will increase the load testing capacity

to 2,000 kW for horizontally-orientated

motors as well an increase in voltage to

13.8 kV. The majority of the equipment

tested in the additional capacity will

be large, high voltage, AC motors, but

the possibility to test DC motors up to

600 V, with a loading up to 800 amps

will still remain.


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Cover Story

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IPCO’s heat exchanger plugs seal leaking tubes safer and quicker

After fi rst meeting with IPCO, producer of heat exchanging plugs, almost a year ago at an industry event

in the Benelux, where Managing Aging Plants already had a very pleasant talk with the team behind this

Holland-based company, we felt it was about time to catch up again. Armand Boogert, Sales Director

with IPCO, gladly answered our call and invited us to come visit them in Dordrecht, in the west of

The Netherlands. “We can talk over the phone, but I think it would be nicer for you to come over and have

a look around our offi ce,” Armand stated.

By Jolanda Heunen

As Sales Director, Armand is responsi-

ble for all commercial activities within

and outside of IPCO. “I started here

in February 1991 and the company

was founded in December 1989, so

basically I joined almost right at the

beginning,” he tells. Ever since its start

the team have been working towards

becoming the company that is known

in the industry as a true service-

provider. “Of course we sell products,

but primarily we want to be there for

the customer whenever they need us.”

Service is therefore very important for

IPCO, which includes providing training

and products that are engineered to

perfection.

Already in the early nineties of the last

century the company made a very

deliberate choice not to focus on

just one area or one product. “This is

because we believe this could make a

company less stable and stability is of

course important; not only for us but

also for our customers who know that

we will be in the industry for the years

to come as well,” Armand explains.

However, within the company, a fairly

prominent place is reserved for the

IPCO plug, a device that is as simple as

it is ingenious.

Made to measure

The IPCO plug is a product that was

especially designed as a solution for

tube leakage in shell and t ube heat


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Cover Story

exchangers, a type that is found in

almost every part of the heavy industry

including big refi neries and chemical

plants. “And all end-users experience the

same thing, namely that the tubes inside

the shell and tube heat exchanger wear,”

says Armand. “Whether it is because of

corrosion, erosion, thermal activities, or

any other cause, sooner or later tubes

will start to leak and for a great deal this is

completely normal.”

Of course the fact that it is normal

does not mean it is desired, so plant

inspection and maintenance personnel

need to consider repair or replacement

in case of leakage. “Many heat exchang-

ers have hundreds or even thousands

of tubes and it would be silly to replace

the whole heat exchanger when

you can repair a few tubes,” Armand

continues. “The tube can be replaced,

but sometimes this is not possible, for

example when the pipe is in a U-shape.

Or sometimes time is limited, a very

speedy repair is desired, and then you

can block-off the leaking tubes inside

the heat exchanger with plugs.”

Basically there are three ways for

blocking-off a tube: you can bash in

a taper pin, you can use a taper pin

and weld it to the heat exchanger,

or you can use a mechanical plug.

“The taper pin can be okay but you

don’t know what could happen in

time,” Armand tells. “Since the heat

exchanger vibrates it could fall out

one day. When you weld the pin to

the heat exchanger it is secured, but

there is a very high local heat build-up

which will in time result in the crack-

ing of other tubes, thus creating new

leaks. We off er a diff erent technique

for which we use a hydraulic system,

a machine with which you can place a

plug into the heat exchanger.”

“The IPCO plug is a

product that was especially

designed as a solution for

tube leakage in shell and

tube heat exchangers,

a type that is found in

almost every part of the

heavy industry, including

big refi neries and chemical

plants.”

“Whether it is because of

corrosion, erosion, thermal

activities, or any other

cause, sooner or later tubes

will start to leak and for a

great deal this is completely

normal.”


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Cover Story

The way this works is: you have a

taper pin, a ring, and a breakaway sec-

tion and with the hydraulic machine

the pin will be pulled through the

ring. The ring will expand towards the

tube where it will create a seal, and

when enough power is applied, the

breakaway section will break so that

the installer knows it is installed cor-

rectly. “It is really very easy and can be

installed by a factory’s own mechani-

cal engineers or a contractor,” Armand

reassures. “However sometimes there

are of course very typical situations,

where it is diffi cult to perform a plug-

ging operation. We have created a

very simple instruction, based around

the tooling and the plug so it is not

very diffi cult, but we strongly advise to

always have trained staff placing the

plugs.”

X1 and X4

Basically there are two variants of

the plug, the IPCO X1 and the X4.

Both work identical, however one is

limited in size range but can go to

extreme pressures – up to 500 Bar

not really being an issue. The other

has a times four (X4) range, a range

of 2–2,5 mm, so much more expan-

sion but a lower working pressure

of 100 Bar. “Which is by the way

still enough for most applications,”

Armand adds.

In deciding upon which plug should

be utilised it is important to consider

pressure, temperature and material.

“When we know the exact data, so

outside diameter, wall thickness, the

material of the tube, pressure and

temperature, we can supply the exact

right type of plug for the job,” Armand

continues. “The material of the tube

is leading for the choice in material

for the plug; when it is a carbon steel

tube, we will use a carbon steel plug,

and when it is a brass tube, a brass

plug will be advised.”

In addition to the plug system, IPCO

offer a testing system to be used

before the plugging. “With a shell

test you can easily see if there is

leakage, but it can be difficult to pin-

point exactly which tubes are leak-

ing,” Armand explains. “With our tube

testing system which is a pneumati-

cally driven hand-held kit you can

quickly pressure test each individual

tube. Anywhere between 8 and 32

millimetres can be tested with the

system. The plugs go in where it is

marked after the inspection, and

installing an IPCO plug can be done

in seconds.”

“With a shell test you can

easily see if there is leakage,

but it can be diffi cult

to pinpoint exactly

which tubes are leaking.

With our tube testing

system - which is a

pneumatically driven

hand-held kit - you can

quickly pressure test each

individual tube.”


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Cover Story

First the Benelux, now Europe

IPCO started producing plugs for

two main reasons. “We noticed that

approvals were becoming more and

more important for the European

market,” says Armand. “And of course

lead-time: as it is an emergency repair

product, the lead-time has to be half

an hour, one hour tops, and when a

certain product is not in stock it needs

to be produced and delivered straight

away.”

IPCO started with serving the Benelux

(Belgium, The Netherlands, and

Luxembourg) region, but quickly

decided to work together with

companies in the rest of Europe as

well. “Especially in the Benelux we

give in-house presentations at the

customer to explain what can be

done. Outside the Benelux we work

with representatives so that in time

we can cover at least the whole of

Europe,” Armand tells. “We would

like to have more partners throughout

Europe.”

tor, were cancelled by the end-user

who in spite of the contractor’s

advise decided to weld because he

didn’t believe the risk to be that high.

“A few months later we heard that

all welding, which was performed

fully according to specifi cation, had

resulted in so many leaks in other

tubes that the whole heat exchanger

was considered to be scrap and had

to be replaced.”

“Yes, our plug is more costly than

just a taper pin and a hammer,

which is because it is designed,

well engineered, and needs a

machine to be installed, but we

have proven that our plug goes in,

stays in, and does not cause local

heat build-up as is the case with

welding – which is by the way more

expensive than the IPCO plug when

you calculate everything in,” Armand

concludes.

“Especially in the Benelux we give in-house presentations

at the customer to explain what can be done. Outside the

Benelux we work with representatives so that in time we

can cover at least the whole of Europe. We would like to

have more partners throughout Europe.”

Did you know?

The IPCO plug is completely

certifi ed under ISO and always

equipped with full material

certifi cation. In addition, it is

completely certifi ed under the

PED – the Pressure Equipment

Directive. “The industry has to

comply to full PED certifi cation,

all pressure equipment today is

under the agreement of PED,”

Armand tells. “We therefore

decided, a long time ago already,

that we needed to not just have

material and ISO certifi cation,

but also have this PED certifi ca-

tion in place. This is saving a lot

of cost for the industry, for when

an IPCO plug is used, everybody

knows it’s fully certifi ed so the

inspector just ticks a box and it’s

done.”

“It is a traditional industry and many

companies keep doing what they

have been doing for years,” Armand

continues when asked why the use

of a mechanical plug isn’t the stand-

ard solution. “When there’s a leak,

you bash in a pin and either weld

this or not. However, a pin that is

not secured can come out and we

already know for almost thirty years

that welding is not a smart thing to

do.” Armand illustrates this by telling

about a case where the plugs that

were almost ordered by a contrac-


End-user Interview

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By David Sear

MAP fi rst had the pleasure of meeting Material and Inspection Specialist

Mrs. Sari Musch in March 2016 when visiting the Neste refi nery at Porvoo, Finland. There, in the

company’s central offi ce, she kindly outlined some of her work related to stainless steels. Two years

later, MAP found it high time for a return trip to Finland to catch up with Mrs. Musch and her many

and varied projects.

Communications: a ‘must-have’

tool for a materials engineer

According to Mrs. Musch herself

she does not really receive that many

outside guests at the Porvoo refi nery.

And that’s something of a surprise for

whenever MAP visits we are always

treated to a friendly welcome, a hot

cup of coff ee and the opportunity to

listen to an honest, in-depth review of

materials.

And make no mistake about it,

Mrs. Musch can talk with authority

about materials from various angles:

properties, selection, failure analysis,

welding, etc. For she has continually

looked for opportunities to expand and

improve her knowledge of as wide a

range of materials as possible. This is

exactly why she joined the Neste refi n-

ery back in 2012, eager to work with

stainless steels and some of the more

exotic CRAs. She has certainly had her

wish, having been involved in plenty

of interesting cases within the refi nery

gates.

For example, as discussed in MAP’s

previous report she has focussed

attention on the refi nery’s water

quality which was aff ected following

a leakage of resin balls from the ion

exchange system. Now when safely

contained inside the ion exchange

unit those balls do an excellent job

in removing calcium and magnesium

from the boiler feedwater. However,

when allowed to escape from the ion

exchanger, to circulate and to subse-

quently become exposed to higher

temperatures, these self-same balls


End-user Interview

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can degrade, causing corrosion prob-

lems elsewhere.

As Mrs. Musch explains, that’s because

the resin balls are fully saturated

with positively charged sodium ions

(Na+) and contain a lot of sulphur

in the form of sulphonic acid. The

resin starts to decompose at elevated

temperatures where evaporation takes

place. The decomposition process

is fairly complex but results in the

formation of both sulphuric acid and

sodium hydroxide. Comments Mrs.

Musch: “So what we have is both an

acid and a base. In some instances

these two compounds will neutralise

each other. Indeed, pH readings in

some areas may show that the water

is perfectly all right. However, these

readings can create a false sense

of security as, for example, sodium

hydroxide can accumulate under

surface fouling which leads to severe

pitting corrosion or stress corrosion

cracking.”

The ideal solution from the scientifi c

perspective, she indicates, would be

to shut down the refi nery, drain the

feed water and condensate tanks and

clean out the balls. However, there are

clearly good economic reasons for

waiting until the next scheduled out-

age, as closing even parts of a refi n-

ery can lead to an immediate loss of

revenue. “We therefore have to accept

that the resin balls will continue to

be a concern for items such as heat

exchangers, boilers, etc. For example,

the tube bundles need replacing more

frequently than normal. Fortunately

now that we are aware of this particu-

lar corrosion mode we can take all

the necessary steps well in advance.

However, we are currently looking to

hire a manager to be responsible for

the water and steam systems so I am

confi dent that he or she will be able to

push ahead with the actual implemen-

tation of the clean-up project. This is

an indication that the top manage-

ment is seeing the need for a strong

ownership for the boiler and the water

quality issues.”

Sulphur levels

At this juncture MAP decide to ask

Mrs. Musch for an update on some of

the other topics she raised two years

previously. Such as, for example, her

concern that rising sulphur levels in

the crude oil feedstock might neces-

sitate using chromium alloys as an

alternative to carbon steels in certain

areas. In reply, Mrs. Musch notes that

colleagues from local engineering

company Neste Jacobs had in fact just

concluded a material upgrade pro-

ject in the crude oil distillation sys-

tems. “They reviewed the suitability

of existing piping and equipment for

increasing sulphur levels. This evalua-

tion highlighted the need to upgrade

from carbon steel to 5Cr or even to

9Cr/12Cr steels. However, if sulphur

levels continue to rise then perhaps a

further step up to stainless steels will

be the next choice.”

Another research project instigated

by Mrs. Musch in 2015 was to address

fouling in a tank fabricated from 321

stainless steel clad onto a carbon

steel baselayer. To that end she had

coupons installed inside the tanks.

With the coupons now having been

removed and examined, Mrs. Musch

says she needs to free up time to

properly analyse the results. “Fouling

can accelerate corrosion, so is some-

thing that I take very seriously,” she

notes.


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Duplex cracks

A more recent area of attention for

Mrs. Musch is a hydrogen-rich

process unit, where cracks have

been found in a duplex vessel.

Commenting, she says: “the inves-

tigation is still ongoing but there

is some evidence to suggest that

improper manufacturing or welding

practices may be part of the prob-

lem. The preliminary results revealed

some microstructural anomalies

which could have made the material

susceptible to cracking.”

“It is important for everyone involved

to remember that duplex is absolutely

not the same as carbon steel,” she

continues. “For example there are

clearly defi ned welding procedures

which must be followed. This type of

information should therefore really

be included in the purchase orders

so that everyone involved is properly

informed in advance. Only certifi ed

welders should be used but even then

the procedures should be discussed

so that they really appreciate what is

needed and why. The cooling speed

for one is a key parameter. But it is

equally important for managers to

consider what it is like for a welder to

work inside a vessel installed in the

fi eld. In other words: make sure the

welder has easy access to the work

area and does not have to strain to

reach the weld.”

Straightforward language

Mrs. Musch goes on to say that the

ability to distill complex engineering

issues into easily understandable

language is an important skill for mate-

rials engineers. “We have developed

a rich vocabulary that enables us to

precisely defi ne materials phenomena.

That is ideal when looking to explain

complex ideas to our immediate peers.

But we also need to be able to discuss

materials issues with specialists in other

fi elds. For example, that could be with

a refi nery owner about the need to

change materials. Or with a welder, to

explain why it is important to follow

specifi c procedures for welding exotic

materials.”

This is why Mrs. Musch avoids using

technical jargon during her regular

presentations to Porvoo staff . “Start

discussing microstructures and you

can see people quickly becoming

disengaged. Therefore I try to use a

straightforward language to ensure

that everyone understands and can

contribute to discussions. My presenta-

tion shows materials failures that can

happen in a refi nery and how they

can be avoided. For example,

I recently explained to process opera-

tors why they need to be really careful

with the operating window. If for

whatever reason they raise the process

temperature so that the material tem-

perature is raised by just ten degrees

that can reduce the furnace tube life by

fi fty per cent! That is a simple message

but one which everyone can immedi-

ately understand.”

Material and Inspection Specialist Sari Musch in the central offi ce of the Porvoo refi nery in Finland.

The Porvoo refi nery is located within an hour’s drive from the capital, Helsinki

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Maintenance

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After reading the Case Study from Oxifree about the UT testing they conducted with Cygnus

Instruments, Managing Aging Plants got in contact with Oxifree Ltd. to learn more about the company

and the solutions they off er. Managing Director Ed Hall gladly answered our questions. He has

been with Oxifree since day one and is proud of what they have achieved in the eight years of

existence, and with their new operations opening in NE Scotland, Oxifree are ready for an exciting

new chapter in the UK.

Oxifree tackles corrosion

What can you tell about Oxifree?

Oxifree was established in 2009 to

tackle the growing issue of corrosion

across many sectors of industry. We

are a small company with a big mis-

sion and in our eight years we have

achieved representation in over forty

countries worldwide. Our core prod-

uct is TM198, a thermoplastic coating

for the protection of complex metal

assets.

How does Oxifree assist plant

managers and engineers in their

daily work?

Aging plants and asset life extension

are a large drain on time and resourc-

es for plant owners and operators,

therefore the budgets of the plant

maintenance managers and engineers

are constantly under duress. The deg-

radation to equipment and materials is

always going to be par for the course,

however the unplanned is impossible

to budget for!

Often the plan is to deal with this in

shutdowns and via scheduled main-

tenance but it doesn’t always work

out that way. An operational failure

can cause major issues, not just with

production but regarding potential

impacts on health, safety and the envi-

ronment as well.

We want to be part of the prevention

– as well as the fi x – but the more we

can work with plant managers and

engineers to develop preventative

maintenance measures, protecting

assets before they degrade, the better.

The upfront costs can then save so

much more than when the unplanned

happens.

The fact that we can work while a

plant is in operation is a big advan-

By Jolanda Heunen

tage; it allows the operator to do more

during the regular planned shut-

down, or make the shutdown period

shorter. We can also work in a variety

of environments, from cold and dry

to hot and humid, so the scope is

broadened.

Who do you consider to be your

competitors?

Primarily petrolatum tapes, paints,

and synthetic wraps. They have their

place, but few are multi taskers. Paints

can chip easily – exposing the asset

underneath – and require frequent

reapplication. Petrolatum tapes have

signifi cant preparation requirements

and need extra products for com-

plex geometries increasing applica-

tion time. Synthetic wraps can split

or become damaged with impact or

adverse weathers.

Much of the competition has lengthy

preparation requirements which

means extended downtime for both

preparation and application. Curing

“Aging plants and asset life

extension are a large drain

on time and resources for

plant owners and operators,

therefore the budgets of

the plant maintenance

managers and engineers are

constantly under duress.”


Maintenance

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time can extend this even further, let

alone the inability for ease of inspec-

tion or maintenance.

Thermoplastic coatings, such as our

product TM198, can be applied in so

many more situations especially to

metal assets with moving parts. There

is often no downtime as it can be

applied to live equipment and it can

withstand much harsher environments

with success.

Do you have any exciting projects

coming up that you can tell a

little about?

We have recently been awarded

services with a major global oil and

gas operator which is an exciting

prospect. Being approved on a scale

like this opens the door globally.

One of our representatives has also

just won a large $1.9m contract with

a major operator providing our

TM198 for a two-year service period.

In addition, we launched our opera-

tional services arm in the NE of

Scotland.

We recognise the need to support our

clients, partners, and our representa-

tives in the UK and Europe and feel that

our new operations will enable us to

provide a fl agship for all Oxifree Service

solutions.

In addition to the case study

on Cygnus, are there any other

case studies or application

stories you would like to share

with us?

We have conducted two recent case

studies using NDT techniques, Cygnus

and ACFM with TSC. It was important

for us to highlight how adding this lay-

er of protection to metal assets does

not stop the routine inspections that

need to be conducted, we wanted to

show plant operators and engineers

that prevention can go hand in hand

with routine inspection and general

operations.

All testing included coated substrate, Cygnus couplant (blue gel) and Cygnus

Dive UT thickness gauge.

Substrates were:

• 4mm blasted plates (Grey in colour)

• Gas Transfer pipe (Black in colour)

• Oxifree demonstration rig

Results

Test 1: 4mm blasted steel

plate coated in Oxifree

coating.

Measurement was taken

through 6mm of Oxifree

coating. The material

was then removed from

the exact spot of testing

to demonstrate that the

Oxifree coating had no

eff ect on the thickness of

the material reading.

Test 2: Gas transfer pipe

partially coated in Oxifree

coating.

This test involved meas-

uring a section of the

pipework coated in

Oxifree material using

Cygnus Dive UT gauge,

then rotating the pipe to

demonstrate that the only

diff erence in reading is

due to the manufacturing

process.

Test 3: Testing of Oxifree

coating while submerged.

A coated plate was sub-

merged in water and tested

for thickness as in the pre-

vious tests with the same

level of results recorded.

Test 4: Testing Cygnus

Dive on Oxifree Demon-

stration test piece.

Case Study

The various test conducted showed, without

fail, that UT testing was suitable for TM198.

What would a completely

corrosion-free industrial world

look like and how can Oxifree

assist in achieving this?

It would certainly be a more effi cient

one! The savings to both capex and

opex would be substantial with less

unplanned maintenance and hope-

“It’s not just the cost

savings, a corrosion free

industrial world would

remove associated failures,

which in turn minimizes

environmental, health, and

safety risk.”

fully less failures. There are a few steps

in the fi ght against corrosion, the fi rst

being identifi cation – some of the top

trouble spots are hard to see – take

CUPS (Corrosion under pipe supports)

for instance. The very nature of this

issue is that it is hard to spot, often until

too late. There are tools that can be in-


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About Ed Hall

Ed is the managing director of Oxifree Global Ltd,

leading the company since 2009. He obtained his

BA in Business Administration and Economics and

has since held roles in business fi nance, sales, sales

management, engineering team management, and was

involved in product development and manufacturing.

Ed has worked in both the USA and the UK and trav-

elled extensively during his career so far, giving him

a rounded insight into conducting business on a global scale. He is proud

of the accomplishments Oxifree has achieved and believes strongly in their

products, mission, and future.

stalled to monitor but they cost money

and obviously then a fi x would still

need to be made. Taking a preventative

approach using Oxifree would mean

the risk is removed and operators can

reallocate those expenditures. This is

true for the prevention of corrosion but

also the mitigation of further corrosion

on aging assets. Other coating tech-

nologies cannot provide this option to

live pipeline as they require pipes to be

lifted from the support to remove oxidi-

zation, prepare the surface and then

apply the product. None of this is nec-

essary with TM198 as we can encapsu-

late existing issues and actively mitigate

them at the point of application.

But it’s not just the cost savings, a

corrosion free industrial world would

remove associated failures, which in

turns minimizes environmental, health

and safety risk. The right solutions need

to endure both harsh environments

and the test of time which Oxifree can.

Does an installation need to be

shut down before inspection

using ultrasonic testing and how

much time does the testing take?

Typically no, a shutdown would not

be needed unless access to an area

of testing was prohibited during live

operation. One of the benefi ts of this

method of testing is that it does not

take very long to get results and they

are highly accurate. The advantage for

Oxifree TM198 is that it does not inter-

fere with this testing allowing operators

to monitor pipework eff ectively.

Can any pipe be treated with

the thermoplastic coating

or are there exceptions? For

example regarding material, age,

positioning, or environmental

infl uences?

The big advantage of thermoplastic

coatings is their suitability for so many

more applications than competitor

products with the ability to apply to

complex geometries. Minimal surface

preparation means the asset is not

subjected to harsh blasting which can

take its toll on aging equipment. Due

to the application nature assets in dif-

fi cult locations can be reached as the

equipment utilises 15m hoses which

can reach into confi ned areas and

still achieve application. They

are also suited to applications in

extreme conditions – wet, dry, humid,

abrasive.

Why NDT and Oxifree TM198?

TM198 off ers the corrosion protec-

tion metal assets need. We recently

conducted testing with Cygnus

UT equipment and were able to

determine that TM198 (when

correctly applied), completely

eradicated any oxygenated air and

electrolyte on the surface of sub-

strates that cause and lead to corro-

sion. The test also proved that the UT

echo perfectly identifi ed substrate

thickness through Oxifree material,

eliminating any need to remove any

applied Oxifree coating in order to

inspect and fully assess substrate

integrity.

Oxifree recommends UT testing as

an alternative for routine inspection

where the material would typically

be cut away and refi lled. UT testing

can determine wall thickness and

detect defects, without damage or in-

terruption to process equipment. This

is not possible with other corrosion

protection methods.

“The big advantage of thermoplastic coatings is

their suitability for so many more applications than

competitor products with the ability to apply to complex

geometries.”

Alloy 20Alloy 200Alloy 400

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Alloy C-276Stainless 304H

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The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. © 2017 Emerson Electric Co.


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By Candace Allison & Sarah Bradley

For more than 130 years, the Arizona Public Service Company (APS) has powered Arizona’s growth,

prosperity, and innovation. Today, APS continues to be the state’s largest and longest serving electric

utility, providing 2.7 million people with safe and reliable energy. The company’s Palo Verde Nuclear

Generating Station (Palo Verde), located near Tonopah, Arizona is the largest source of carbon-free

electricity in the United States, with 6,400 MW of generating capacity and one gigawatt of renewable

energy. With more than 6,400 employees, APS is dedicated to ensuring a bright future for Arizona.

Managing Aging Plants had the pleasure of speaking with one of these employees, Mr. John Backus, a

Nuclear Training Instructor, responsible for valve service training for the valve service group at the Palo

Verde Nuclear Generating Station. He spoke with us about his current role as an instructor, the problem

of part obsolescence and how that issue can be used to teach younger workers about adaptability.

Training the nuclear industry’s

next generation of workers

An interview with Mr. John Backus, Nuclear Training

Instructor with the Arizona Public Service Company

End-user Interview


End-user Interview

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An impressive career history

Even though John has been working at

the Palo Verde plant for approximately

33 years, he actually began his career

in 1979 as an electrician wiring houses.

When he became bored with fi shing

wires he started working for Phillips

Uranium in New Mexico before mov-

ing to South East Arizona and working

in a large open-pit copper mine. It

was in 1983 when there was a strike

at the mine that John became aware

of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating

Station, which was just getting started

and needed maintenance electricians,

especially ones with previous experi-

ence working in the copper mine.

After successfully passing the entrance

test, John was hired and helped with the

start-up testing for the nuclear power

plant, which he thought was “a lot of

fun.” After 12 years working in that area,

there was a change in management and

he moved into the electric shop, eventu-

ally becoming team leader. At that time

there wasn’t a separate Valve Services

Group, but as an electrician he was

able to work on both the mechanical

and electrical aspects of valves, which

he found really enjoyable. In 1990 the

offi cial Valve Shop was created, in order

to have professionalism and consistency

across the board and three years later

the valve shop was made company wide

and existed alongside the electric shop,

mechanic shop, instrumentation & con-

trol (I&C) shop, and the HVAC shop.

John said that it was at that point he

moved to the valve shop, which he

really liked. He was there for a long time

before the training opportunity in the

valve service shop opened up and he

became the Valve Service Instructor.

From there he moved to safety and non-

discipline specifi c training and was busy

constantly teaching the upwards of 700

people a year classes like FME conduct

& maintenance, tagging & clearance,

keeping up qualifi cations, etc.

Not long ago, the Valve Service

Instructor retired and John moved back

into the valve service training and “really

getting my feet wet again with it. I go to

every outage to work with the guys in

the valve shop, so I keep my qualifi ca-

tions up and then I go back and I use

that opportunity to mentor as a training

instructor,” he explained. “They really

rely on me coming back to them hav-

ing that experience because we have

a lot of new people. Many have retired

so we now have a lot of smart, young

workers but they don’t have the hands-

on experience. Most us grew up at Palo

Verde; this is my only nuclear power

plant so it’s all I’ve ever known. I learned

without all the complications that you

have today. Today technicians are held

to a higher standard. That’s why they

rely on me to come back to the shop

and work with them.”

Current role

John is responsible for providing valve

service training for the entire Valve Service

Group at Palo Verde. He does all the train-

ing and prepares all the documentation

to maintain the training qualifi cations. A

lot of his job involves writing lesson plans,

teaching courses, and ensuring all the

paper work is correct because there are

regulatory observations with the Institute

of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). He

provides training on all the ‘normal type

of valves’ the plant uses whether it is a

Target Rock valve, solenoid air-operated

valve (AOV), motor operated valve (MOV),

either electrical or mechanical, etc. He

also covers refurbish inspection, testing,

and troubleshooting. Twice a year he

leads the Craftsmanship Training, which

he calls ‘Just-in-time-training’. This session

is held right before an outage and covers

anything the group wants to review or go

over before the outage. John said that

he really enjoys this course because the

technicians in the shops actually present

a lot of the material but he oversees the

session, prepares all the lesson plans, and


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ensures everything meets the specifi c SAT

requirements.

When asked what a typical working

day is like, he is quick to answer that

his work weeks are often Monday

to Thursday, with ten hour shifts. He

begins most days with assessing what is

going on in the plant trying to deter-

mine what upcoming work could be

involved or if there are any problems

that need to be solved. He then goes to

the valve shop to work with the employ-

ees there. He will then observe their

work and provide any feedback that he

thinks would be useful. He confessed

that the better part of most days is spent

doing paperwork: making sure lesson

plans are approved, that PowerPoint

presentations are completed and

approved by the leadership team and

generally just making sure every aspect

of the course is ready to go.

“Then there is the teaching component

of my job,” explained John. “I teach

anywhere from 20- to 40-hour classes

depending on what the specifi c subject

is. So I have to always maintain my quali-

fi cations as an instructor. I also have to

be observed to ensure I’m teaching eve-

rything correctly and I have a lab obser-

vation too. In order to even become

an instructor I had to go through the

standard INPO approved training course.

I don’t have a teaching degree. I come

from the school of hard knocks. What I

enjoy the most about my job is actually

teaching. I love being at the front, I feel

very comfortable in front of an audience.

I also enjoy working with all the people

in the diff erent shops. I also enjoy work-

ing with the new generation of workers.

I love taking my knowledge and my

experiences and incorporating all of that

into the lesson plans.”

But he clarifi ed that this can also be a

major challenge: making sure that his

lesson plans adequately cover aspects

that will help the workers while also

meeting the fairly strict requirements

of the SAT program. This is why after

any class he teaches he circulates

a feedback form so there is an ele-

ment of post-training evaluation and

he can incorporate any feedback into


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the next course. He doesn’t enjoy the

administrative aspect as much as the

actual teaching but he does realize its

importance. John also fi nds it chal-

lenging trying to keep on top of current

information and ensuring there are

enough hands-on opportunities to his

lesson plans. He has to try and provide

enough equipment for his hands-on

refurbish classes but sometimes the

trouble is fi nding enough space to

house everything.

The problem of obsolescence

Yet another challenge that John faces

more and more these days is the

problem of parts, especially valves,

no longer being available. He stated,

“Obsolescence is already becoming

a really big issue for us. Things are

wearing out and certain manufacturers

are not reproducing the same parts.

During the last couple of outages

we were making some changes with

the plant equipment because of the

obsolescence of a certain piece of

equipment, so we have to constantly

learn more about this problem and

adapt to it. We’ve had to do training on

it because we all have to have a com-

plete understanding of the problem

and how we can combat it.”

He continued to explain that it is inevi-

table that younger workers are going

to face the issue of dealing with older

parts that are wearing out but no longer

being made, so the only option is to

make room for new parts, but that also

involves adhering to the strict require-

ments of the nuclear industry. So not just

any part can be used to replace the ones

that are wearing out due to age. John

admitted that things are going to have to

change in the industry to make it easier

for obsolete parts to be replaced.

Supporting future generations

Doing everything possible to

ensure that the next generation

of workers in the nuclear industry

are adequately trained is perhaps

the most important part of John’s

job. He detailed that, “Training the

new generation is a big deal. The

kids these days are really smart

because they get a lot of book

learning but that isn’t nearly enough.

They also have to see it, and experi-

ence it, in the plants. I think a lot of

it has to do with the fact that we can

bring history to them, a history that

we’ve seen but they haven’t. The

situation in the plant is diff erent now

compared to when I fi rst started. We

don’t see the same things today that

we did 10 or even 20 years ago. For

example, today things, like valves,

are just wearing out and that part

may now be obsolete. When I was

younger the focus was on mak-

ing everything run correctly and

smoothly but now the focus has

shifted to how products are wear-

ing out. We have to recognize what

exactly is wearing out and why. What

is causing it and how can that be

prevented? How can we use a new

part to replace an old one that is no

longer available? It all comes back to

being able to understand a problem

and learn from it.”

John believes that the future of the

industry will be to fi nd ways to become

more effi cient and streamlined in plant

processes. When he fi rst started in

the business, he said that everyone

followed exactly what the manufac-

turer recommended, even if it seemed

repetitive or no value added. In recent

years, he has noticed that there is a

shift and that now workers are work-

ing with the manufactures and the

engineering department to perform

the correct amount of maintenance.

However, John also believes that this

calls for even better training and sup-

port for the future generations so that

all requirements can be met in terms

of the equipment used in the plant,

especially with part obsolescence

becoming a larger and more persua-

sive problem. He believes that workers

have to be ready to adapt and that will

be easier the more training and experi-

ence they have. As long as John is still

instructing he will try his best to make

sure they will get all the knowledge,

experience and support they need.


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Safety

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For plant owners in the process industry, cutting corners on safety to reduce costs can be a very

expensive mistake. One dramatic example is the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which was a direct

consequence of the explosion on the oil platform Deepwater Horizon. One of the main factors that

contributed to the explosion was the sealing of the bore hole: despite warnings from experts, a

cheaper solution was adopted that involved a higher risk of escaping gas. In retrospect, this would

have been a negligible investment compared to the damages paid to the US government, which

ran into of billions of dollars in double fi gures. Not to mention the damage to the company image,

or the appalling eff ects on the environment and on people that cannot be quantifi ed. Thus in plant

construction, whether for the chemical industry, for fi ring technology or for incineration systems,

systematic hazard assessment is essential.

By Bernd Rastatter and Andre Günther, Rösberg Engineering GmbH

Not only may false economies prove to

be expensive in many diff erent ways –

they can also lead to legal consequences.

There are clear legal requirements

regarding the implementation of func-

tional safety measures: in Germany, for

instance the Industrial Safety Regulation

(Betriebssicherheitsverordnung,

BetrSichV) obliges operators of plants

requiring compulsory monitoring to

Learning from one’s mistakes can be expensive in the chemical industry or where fi ring technology and incineration plants are

concerned. With a Functional Safety Management system, failures can be anticipated and avoided. (Photo: Georg Lehnerer/fotolia)

Treating the cause and not the symptoms

Functional Safety Management in

the process industry

ensure the safety and protect the health

of their employees. It lays down clear

guidelines on hazard assessment and

protective measures, and explicitly

names the elements of infringements

and criminal off ences. Nevertheless, for

reasons of cost many safety measures

are not implemented at all, or are only

implemented half-heartedly. Other

stumbling-blocks are a lack of know-

ledge on the topic of functional safety,

or confusion about fi nding one’s way

through the complex ‘ jungle’ of stand-

ards and guidelines. Here, establishing

a Functional Safety Management (FSM)

system can help not only to avoid major

safety risks, but on a ‘smaller’ scale can

reduce downtimes, meaning it pays off

double. But let us consider one point at

a time.


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Implementing functional safety in

practice

What exactly is FSM? It is a system-

atic procedure that can help to avoid

potential failures even at the stage

of plant planning and development.

The failures that occur in a plant can

be generally divided into two groups:

stochastic and systematic. Stochastic

failures occur by chance and can’t be

prevented beforehand. One exam-

ple is the unforeseeable failure of an

electric component. If something like

this occurs it is a case of minimizing

the damage that could be caused by

malfunction, and ensuring suffi cient

safety in advance by redundancy

concepts. Whereas stochastic failures

occur randomly and cannot be pre-

vented in advance, systematic failures

can be recognized beforehand and

their consequences are foresee-

able. For instance, an error in the

instructions for inspecting a protec-

tion system results in an inspection

that is wrongly carried out. Thus the

intended function of the protective

system is not ensured and as a result

there may be damage to the plant,

to the environment and, in the worst

case, to people.

Systematic failures of this kind there-

fore need to be anticipated and

avoided. A study by the Health and

Safety Executive (HSE) demonstrates

that this is worth doing. In Great Britain

the HSE regulates major areas of

health and safety at work. The study

investigated 34 accidents that caused

substantial damage, and came to

the conclusion that more than sixty

percent of these failures were built into

the plant before it was commissioned

(Fig. 1). Around 25 % of failures arose

through installations or changes made

after commissioning. Only 15 % of the

failures that occurred had a stochastic

cause.

How can a Functional Safety

Management System help?

The main cause of systematic failures is

generally: people. Thus it is important

to support people during the planning

and implementation stage, in order

to avoid these errors – which are

Fig. 1: Only 15 percent of all failures

have a stochastic (unpredictable) cause

(Photo: Rösberg)

Fig. 2: An FSM is based on the safety life cycle as defi ned in DIN EN 61511

(Photo: Rösberg)

“Process defi nitions are

created for each individual

phase of the safety life

cycle. For each phase the

hazard level is also defi ned.”

mainly down to the management –

as eff ectively as possible. This is

where FSM systems help. They are

based on legal regulations, guidelines

and standards. An FSM system is built

on the ‘safety life cycle’ as defi ned

in DIN EN 61511. Fig. 2 shows all the

stages of hazard and risk assessment,

from planning to commissioning and

ending with decommissioning. Right

at the beginning, people responsible

for each of the total of eight phases

are defi ned in a safety plan. In each

of these phases the FSM system uses

two main instruments: process defi ni-

tion (left-hand bar: Management and

Evaluation of Functional Safety) and

control of whether the process defi ni-

tions are actually adhered to (right-

hand bar: Verifi cation).

“What exactly is FSM? It is a

systematic procedure that

can help to avoid potential

failures even at the stage

of plant planning and

development. The failures

that occur in a plant can

be generally divided into

two groups: stochastic and

systematic.”


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Safety

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Fig. 3: Excerpt from a style sheet for Phase 1 of the safety life cycle for verifi cation

of the activity concerned. (Photo: Rösberg)

Fig. 4: Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Andre Günther,

Product Manager for Functional Safety

at Rösberg Engineering GmbH, says:

“Increasing safety is often thought

to mean doing without freedom and

fl exibility. This is exactly what FSM is

not trying to achieve. A well-set-up

FSM system helps users to develop the

best and safest solution as simply as

possible.” (Photo: Rösberg)Process defi nition and control

Process defi nitions are created for

each individual phase of the safety life

cycle. For each phase the hazard level

is also defi ned. That in turn infl uences

who should perform verifi cation.

Where the hazard level is low, this

can be done by employees within the

company, but the higher the hazard

level, the more independently the

verifi cation must be conducted, and

for extremely dangerous processes

the ‘four eyes’ principle applies.

The question of who is allowed to

verify which processes is decided not

only by independence, but also by

Proudly sponsored by: Supported by:

High Pressure Institute of JapanJapan Institute of Plant Maintenance

Japan Society of Corrosion EngineeringJapan Valve Manufacturers’ Association

The Japan Petroleum Institute The Japanese Society for Non-Destructive Inspection

A joint project from:


For more information please contact:Ms. Kiyo Ichikawa: [email protected]

The perfect platform for sharing knowledge and experience regarding the practical aspects of managing aging plants in Japan.

All presentations will be simultaneously translated from English to Japanese / Japanese to English

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Safety

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About Rösberg Engineering GmbH

Rösberg Engineering GmbH, founded in Karlsruhe in 1962, off ers tailored automation solutions created by around

100 employees working at fi ve locations in Germany and China. Their scope includes basic and detail engineering

for the automation of process and production plants. Rösberg also has extensive project planning and application

experience in the use of all usual brands of programmable logic controllers (PLCs).

Many companies also put their trust in Rösberg for the confi guration, delivery and commissioning of distributed

control systems, as a manufacturer-neutral system integrator.

In the area of information technology, Rösberg has enjoyed international success for more than 25 years now with

its I&C-CAE system ProDOK. With LiveDOK NG, Rösberg presents a system which off ers effi cient access to electron-

ic plant documentation, and ensures maintenance and consistency of documentation over the whole life cycle of

the plant. The app LiveDOK.mobile enables online/offl ine access to plant documentation on mobile devices, includ-

ing Ex-Zone access. Plant Assist Manager (PAM) supports the user in documenting and carrying out optimized work-

fl ows. Under the name “Plant Solutions”, ProDOK, LiveDOK and PAM support not only the engineering, construc-

tion and modifi cation of plants, but also continue to support the plant throughout its operative phase. All software

products are now in the “Next Generation” (NG), meaning that they use state-of-the-art technology and off er many

possibilities for visualization, modularization, databases and cloud applications. For more information, please visit

Internet: www.roesberg.com or www.LiveDOK.com

competence. Both specialist qualifi -

cation and professional experience in

the particular area play an important

role here.

Style sheets similar to quality man-

agement sheets are used for control.

With these specially prepared lists,

potential causes of failure can be

systematically checked. When

compiling these checklists for a

particular plant, specifi cations from

various standards can mainly be

used. Individual adaptations are only

necessary in a few cases. The aim of

the catalogues of questions in these

style sheets is to eliminate all pos-

sibilities for diff erent interpretation as

to whether, and how, tasks have been

carried out.

Fig. 3 shows an example of an ex-

cerpt from a style sheet for phase 1 of

the safety life cycle for verifi cation of

the task concerned. After each phase

a ‘hk’ is made of whether all tasks

have been performed in compliance

with the rules. Only then will the

Safety Manager give his ‘all clear’ for

the next step.

Making work easier and

improving safety at work

“Increasing safety is often thought

to mean doing without freedom

and fl exibility. This is exactly what

FSM is not trying to achieve,” says

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Andre Günther (Fig.

4) who works as Product Manager

for Functional Safety at Rösberg

Engineering GmbH. “A well-set-up

FSM system helps users to develop

the best and safest solution as simply

as possible.” Günther and his col-

leagues support plant constructors

and operators in all tasks involving

functional safety and also help with

the integration of an FSM system.

Plant operators who have previously

installed a quality management sys-

tem according to DIN EN ISO 9001

are already part of the way there.

Günther explains: “The departments

and their employees are then already

accustomed to defi ned processes

and the use of style sheets. And indi-

vidual processes are already in

place, such as e.g. steering and

document revision.”

The Rösberg team help with the

integration of QM and FSM systems by

defi ning relevant interfaces.

And they also assist in other stages,

for example with setting up an FSM

system: from comprehensive advice

Fig. 5: Bernd Rastatter, Proxy and Head

of Sales at Rösberg Engineering GmbH

“Increasing safety is often

thought to mean doing

without freedom and

fl exibility. This is exactly

what FSM is not trying to

achieve. A well-set-up

FSM system helps users to

develop the best and safest

solution as simply

as possible.”

and document preparation to the fi nal

rollout. Rösberg’s employees have the

necessary qualifi cations and also the

professional experience required by

the relevant standards. Among other

things, the enterprise has developed

its own style sheets verifi ed by the

TÜV (German safety and standards

institution). These can be made avail-

able to the customer after consulta-

tion. Günther sums up: “Although the

legal requirement for functional safety

is clear, many people still hesitate to

adopt an FSM system. By providing

services in this area, we want to help

lower the inhibition threshold so that

implementation becomes straightfor-

ward, feasible and preventative – and

people are not forced to learn from

their mistakes when it is too late.”


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Materials

31

In today’s chemical-transfer universe,

some estimates say that centrifugal-

style pumps with motor-speed ca-

pabilities are the choice of operators

as much as 75% of the time in critical

chemical fl uid-transfer applications.

However, this article will illustrate

how recent advancements in the

design and operation of another

type of pump technology – positive

While many chemical fl uid-transfer operations may take place in harsh environmental conditions, the pumps and systems

used to facilitate product transfer are in actuality delicate ecosystems that must be kept in balance and operate in harmony.

Therefore, any upset in the system - including improper shaft alignment - can result in breakdowns that can lead to excessive

downtime and high repair or replacement costs.

The general impression is that the pumping systems used in high-volume, heavy-duty chemical

fl uid-transfer applications are rough-and-tumble beasts, able to, as the old Timex watch television

commercials used to promise, “take a licking and keep on ticking”. In reality, they are delicate

ecosystems in which all of the components must be kept in balance and operate in harmony,

lest system failures and breakdowns occur that will lead to excessive downtime and repair or

replacement costs.

By Geoff VanLeeuwen, PE

Challenges with shaft alignment in

chemical-transfer applications?

displacement sliding vane – can

be a more effi cient, reliable and

safer option when transferring critical

chemicals in both fi xed and portable

systems.

The challenge

It’s an unavoidable fact of pump op-

eration: mating shafts require align-

ment. Perhaps it is a direct-coupled

pump with alignment between the

motor and pump. Or a reduced-

speed pump with alignment between

the gear motor and pump. In either

case, a coupler or multiple couplers

transfer torque from the prime mover

to the pump, possibly through an

intermediate speed-reduction device.

Each of these components (mo-

tor, gear reducer and pump) must


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Materials

32

Any pumps that require the mating of shafts to a gear reducer or pump motor

must be aligned properly. Failure to do so will eventually lead to shaft fatigue

and failure that will knock the pump out of service and halt production

operations.

The design of the new Blackmer® GNX Series Sliding Vane Pump eliminates the

couplings between the gearbox and the pump and motor by rigidly connecting

them in alignment with a C-face (or similar) motor on both the high-speed and low-

speed sides of the setup. The result is a pump that will not need to be realigned

either at initial installation or following a maintenance procedure, resulting in

improved peace of mind for the operator.

be accurately leveled so they align

the shaft centerlines. Once leveled,

each component must be carefully

positioned to eliminate all angu-

lar and axial off sets. Couplings are

installed only after these steps are

complete. There are many coupling

types. Some couplings are more for-

giving to misalignment than others,

but each will fail if careful alignment

procedures are not performed. This

causes expensive downtime, lost

reliability and increased maintenance

expenses.

Shaft fatigue is an additional consid-

eration. Initially, a misaligned shaft

will absorb the induced load. That

load is transferred two times per

revolution, which is even more

signifi cant at motor speeds of 1,800

rpm. Several hours later, that shaft

has absorbed tens of thousands of

cycles. Eventually, the stress from

repeated load-defl ection cycles will

cause the shaft to fail. When the

shaft breaks, the downtime is

problematic for end users, because

the pump unit is not moving fl uid

and production schedules are not

met.

The nirvana for pump operators is a

set-and-forget system that eliminates

any chance of the shafts coming out

of alignment, but the reality is that

there are a wide variety of things –

both operationally and in the way

the pump is handled – that will cause

pumps to fall out of alignment.

The fi rst is vibration, which occurs

whenever a pump operates. It’s unde-

niable that some amount of vibration

will take place when a pump is run-

ning; it is when the level of vibration

is excessive that components loosen

and cause the shafts to come out

of alignment. A second major cause

“There are many coupling

types. Some couplings

are more forgiving to

misalignment than others,

but each will fail if careful

alignment procedures are

not performed. This causes

expensive downtime,

lost reliability, and

increased maintenance

expenses.”


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Materials

33

of misalignment is maintenance. When pump or system

maintenance is required, the pump is often decoupled

from the motor. If the reinstallation is done in haste, the

pump will be out of alignment when recoupled. This could

be caused by a technician that has not been properly

trained, or perhaps by someone who is rushing to com-

plete the job because he has been stretched thin. In either

case, that technician will be surprised by an unexpected

and urgent maintenance event when that shaft or cou-

plings fail.

Simply put, the shafts must be properly realigned every

time the pump unit is maintained or relocated. The ulti-

mate repercussion of a misaligned shaft is that the shaft

or the coupling will eventually break or fail, which

will necessitate the need for another costly maintenance

call to either repair or replace the pump, all while the

downtime is hampering the producer’s ability to meet the

requirements of strict production cycles.

Some pump manufacturers have been able to work

around vibration problems or misaligned shafts with the

development of close-coupled motors, where the motor

shaft also operates as the pump shaft, a design that is

popular with centrifugal pumps. While this design does

eliminate the need for shaft alignment, the operational

window of close-coupled pumps is relatively small (re-

quire clean liquids, cannot run dry, small viscosity range,

sensitive to high vapor-pressure liquids), which does not

make them viable for use in most chemical-handling

applications.

The solution

Recognizing the various shortcomings of centrifugal

pumps, as well as the deleterious eff ects caused by shaft

misalignment, the search has been on for a technology

that can be classed as ‘alignment free’, while still possess-

ing the ability to deliver the high fl ow rates and transfer

volumes that are the backbone of chemical fl uid-transfer

operations.

In essence, what was needed was a design that elimi-

nates the couplings between the gearbox and the pump

and motor by structurally connecting them rigidly in

alignment with a C-face (or similar) motor on both the

high-speed (or motor) and low-speed (or pump)

sides of the setup.

Blackmer®, Grand Rapids, MI, USA, a product brand of

PSG®, Oakbrook Terrace, IL, USA, a Dover company, has

found the solution with its new GNX Series Sliding Vane

Pump. The GNX Series pumps are an enhancement of

Blackmer’s legacy GX Series models, which have been

in service since 1959 and are cast-iron pumps with an

internal gear reducer for use in the transfer of various

chemicals.

“The nirvana for pump operators is a

set-and-forget system that eliminates

any chance of the shafts coming out of

alignment, but the reality is that there are a

wide variety of things – both operationally

and in the way the pump is handled – that

will cause pumps to fall out of alignment.”

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Materials

34

The GNX pumps use the proven

features of the GX pumps and take

them to the next level with the in-

corporation of a commercial-grade,

single-stage gearbox. This innovative

new gearbox fi ts between the motor

and pump and is held in place by a

permanent dowelled connection that

creates a structural link between the

high-speed and low-speed sides of

the system.

This redesigned gearbox is constructed

of rigid aluminum housings (Frame 7)

and cast-iron housings (Frames 8 and 9)

and has NEMA C-face or IEC D-fl ange

motor-input connections. The gearbox

output has a proprietary hollow shaft

that is compatible with the pump’s

keyed shaft. This capability results in the

industry’s fi rst alignment-free pump that

can produce fl ow rates from 20 to 500

gpm (76 to 1,893 L/min).

The alignment-free design is well

suited for both fixed and portable

applications with the gearbox pos-

sessing the ability to create turn-

down ratios ranging from 2:1 to 13:1,

resulting in more precise flow rates.

Typical commercial-grade gear-

boxes have more moving parts and

a beefier housing, which can result

in higher purchase costs. Many rely

on two-stage or three-stage speed

reduction, which means that the

lowest speed ratios between the

high- and low-speed sides of the

system are 3.0 or 4.0. This creates

a maximum pumping speed that is

usually less than 600 revolutions per

minute (rpm), which is not enough

for the demands of high-volume

fluid-transfer operations.

The new GNX pumps have also been

designed to fi t into the same footprint

as the original GX pumps. This allows

the alignment-free pumps to retain a

compact footprint and to be a drop-

in replacement in existing installa-

tions. The GNX features a traditional

90-degree ported option; the new

GNXH model off ers a new 180-de-

gree ported option for use wherever

horizontal discharge piping or vertical

pump mounts are desired.

A final benefit of the alignment-free

pumps is that the permanently con-

nected gearbox eliminates all cou-

plings and allows all rotating compo-

nents to be totally enclosed without

the need of guards. This eliminates

pinch points for the operator or

technician, resulting in improved

safety. Furthermore, seal leakage and

product spillage are reduced by in-

corporating Blackmer’s locked-rotor

design into the GNX pumps (which

was not available on the legacy GX

pumps). These safety improvements

are important to successfully pass

U.S. Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA) inspections

or audits as well as those utilized by

other governments globally.

Operationally, the alignment-free

pumps maintain the best traits of the

legacy series, namely the high effi -

ciency and dry-run capability, without

damage during the self-priming or line-

stripping stages. Other benefi ts of the

alignment-free pumps include integral

head-mounted drive with oil-lubricat-

ed, helical gears; sliding-vane pump

The permanently connected gearbox in the Blackmer® GNX Series Sliding Vane

Pump eliminates all couplings and allows all rotating components to be totally

enclosed without the need of guards, which makes it the industry’s fi rst truly

alignment-free pump.

design that adjusts for wear to maintain

fl ow rates; and adjustable relief valve

for protection against excessive pres-

sures. This combination of time-proven

operational features and the new

alignment-free gearbox means that the

pumps will deliver increased reliability,

uptime, seal life, bearing life, shaft life

and safety, with decreased and simpli-

fi ed maintenance.

Conclusion

We may think of pumps as rugged,

robust pieces of machinery — and,

when operated in a vacuum, they

are — but because pristine operat-

ing conditions are rarely achieved, it

is imperative that pumping systems

are designed and operated in a way

that reduces the amount of harm-

ful stress placed on components.

One area that has been difficult to

achieve and maintain is shaft align-

ment, but with its new alignment-

free GNX Series Sliding Vane Pump

design, Blackmer anticipates that this

worry may soon become a thing of

the past.

For more information, please contact

Geoff VanLeeuwen, Product Manager for

Blackmer® and PSG®. He can be reached

at geoff [email protected].

“A fi nal benefi t of the

alignment-free pumps

is that the permanently

connected gearbox

eliminates all couplings

and allows all rotating

components to be totally

enclosed without the need

of guards.”


Company Updates

Jan

uary

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20

18

Endress+Hauser introduces Field Xpert SMT70 tablet PC

USCO relies on Danieli for stainless steel complex

KCA Deutag is new senior VP of RDS

Endress+Hauser introduces the Field Xpert SMT70, a rugged tablet PC

for commissioning and maintenance staff to manage fi eld instruments

and document the work progress. The tablet comes preinstalled with

DeviceCare device confi guration software and device library.

The Field Xpert SMT70 supports HART, PROFIBUS DP/PA, FOUNDATION

Fieldbus, Modbus, CDI and Endress+Hauser service interfaces. It can

connect to fi eld instrumentation devices directly via a USB or Bluetooth

wireless modem, or via a gateway, remote I/O or multiplexer to a bus

system.

The Field Xpert device library has more than 2,700 pre-installed device

and communication drivers, allowing it to work with many diff erent

instruments from a wide variety of vendors.

The Field Xpert SMT70, therefore, works with virtually every modern fi eld

instrument with “One Click Connectivity.” The tablet is ready to perform

diagnostics, confi gurations or commissioning with the built-in device con-

fi guration software. The tablet also supports Endress+Hauser Heartbeat

Technology and FieldCare instrument diagnostic and monitoring functions.

The tablet comes in a general purpose confi guration as well hazardous area confi guration for Class 1, Division 2 Groups

A,B,C,D, T4 and Class 1, Zone 2, Groups IIC, T4

United Stainless Steel Company, USCO, relied on

Danieli Service for resumption of operation at its stain-

less steel complex located in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Supplied by Danieli in 2007, designed to produce

100,000 tonnes per annum of austenitic stainless

steel in 2B and polished fi nish, the complex was

stopped in 2011.

Following a recent agreement between USCO and

Chromiumtrade SA, a Swiss company that will procure

black coils, manage operations and market the end

products, the decision to restart operations was taken.

Danieli Service was engaged to restore the plant to

full production providing new spare parts, techni-

cal support, refurbishment and the upgrade of key

equipment.

The upgrade covered the combined annealing and pickling line with in-line skin pass mill, the 20-high rolling mill, the coil

grinding line, and the slitting and cut-to-length lines.

Among the main interventions was the technological upgrade of the pickling line to a more eco-friendly process and improved

strip-steering.

KCA Deutag announced that Albert Allan has joined the group as the new senior VP of RDS, its rig

design and engineering subsidiary.

Based in Aberdeen, Albert will have responsibility for spearheading RDS’s activities worldwide. He will

also become a member of KCA Deutag’s executive management team, reporting directly to CEO,

Norrie McKay.

Albert joins the group with a wealth of experience in the oil and gas industry, having worked in various

projects, operational and construction management roles during his almost 30 year career.

During that time, Albert spent 24 years with global provider of professional services and tech-

nologies, KBR where he was latterly VP Operations and, more recently, he was MD for the oil,

gas and petrochemical business of international engineering and development consultancy Mott

MacDonald.


Company Updates

Jan

uary

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ary

20

18

Valmet upgrades Aranda marine research vessel

Trimble announces CalAmp to supply telematic devices

Revamped Petrozavodsk reduce eutrophication, Lake Onega

Valmet will upgrade the Aranda marine research vessel’s control and machin-

ery monitoring system to meet current needs as part of a renovation project

for the vessel. Valmet’s delivery includes the upgrade of the Valmet DNA

control and machinery monitoring system, training and commissioning. The

system is used to control and monitor the vessel’s machinery and monitor

alarms.

The order was placed by Telesilta Oy, a Finnish company responsible for

integrating electrifi cation and the machinery monitoring system with other

systems on the vessel. Prior to this order, Telesilta and Valmet have closely

cooperated on many ship projects. Automated vessels include the harbor

icebreaker Ahto, connection ferry Otava and oil pollution control vessel Hylje. Currently, the two companies are carrying out

a comprehensive project on Molslinjen’s RoPax vessel that is under construction by Rauma Marine Constructions Oy at its

Rauma shipyard.

Trimble has announced that CalAmp is supplying

customized telematics tracking devices and sys-

tems management technology for Trimble’s Field

Service Management (FSM) vehicle and

asset monitoring solutions.

Trimble will focus on the value-add fl eet man-

agement, work management, diagnostics, driver

safety and mobility software and cloud-services

that enable organizations to improve effi ciency

and productivity. The Trimble solutions allow

fl eet managers and equipment dealers to locate and monitor the health and utilization of their vehicles and equipment, and

proactively manage maintenance.

The CalAmp devices are simple to install and their PEG™ (Programmable Event Generator) and PULS™ (Programming, Update

and Logistics System) technology enables greater customization and easier device management. This technology improves

fi eld service response time by tracking vehicle and equipment location to effi ciently deploy service technicians. In addition,

the Trimble solutions incorporate equipment warnings and diagnostic information to improve fi rst-time fi x rates and increase

customer satisfaction. Equipment dealers and fl eet managers will benefi t from the integration of Trimble’s solutions to improve

their service and maintenance workfl ows and business systems.

The renovated Petrozavodsk wastewater treatment plant reduces the

eutrophying emissions from the city to Lake Onega and improves

the quality of drinking water. Petrozavodsk wastewater treatment

plant has been identifi ed as an environmental Hot Spot by the

Barents Euro-Arctic Council because insuffi cient wastewater treat-

ment has led to signifi cant environmental contamination.

The plant fulfi ls the recommendations of the Baltic Marine

Environment Protection Commission HELCOM regarding the

removal of phosphorus, nitrogen and solids from municipal waste-

water. Wastewater emissions from Petrozavodsk to Lake Onega and,

through the catchment area, to the Gulf of Finland will be reduced

by 75 tonnes of phosphorus a year in a way that is also cost-effi cient.

The new treatment plant consumes less energy and reduces green-

house gas emissions.

The costs of the wastewater treatment plant totalled about EUR 35 M. This wastewater treatment project is the latest major

achievement of the long-term environmental collaboration between the Fund and the Russian Federation.

The use and maintenance of the water plant is the responsibility of the Petrozavodsk Municipal Services Company.


Company Updates

Jan

uary

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ary

20

18

DSP Group, Emza & Himax launch WiseEye IoT in Las Vegas

SEP PDO submitted

GE supply Predix to Enel - improve software reliability

DSP Group®, Inc., a leading global provider of wireless chipset solutions for converged communications, Emza Visual

Sense, pioneer of ultra-low power computer vision, and Himax Technologies, a leading supplier and fabless manufacturer

of display drivers and other semiconductor products, have announced the launch of the WiseEye IoT. This is the industry’s

fi rst ultra-low power, always-on, intelligent visual sensor adding human presence awareness for consumer appliances and

industrial IoT applications.

DSP Group’s ULE and SmartVoice solutions, Emza’s unique machine vision algorithms, and Himax’s innovative low power

CMOS Image Sensor yield a commercially available sensor capable of detecting, localizing, counting and profi ling people.

When integrated into consumer appliances such as home assistants, TV sets, heating and cooling systems or security systems,

WiseEye IoT enables battery-powered human awareness in the vicinity of the appliance in an extremely effi cient and cost-

effi cient manners.

WiseEye provides intelligent occupancy detection and people counting in a battery powered sensor, so it is perfect for

managing HVAC, factory fl oors, and other areas where motion detection is required.

The Snorre Expansion Project PDO (plan for develop-

ment and operation) was submitted to the Minister of

Oil and Energy December 21.

Currently the Snorre-fi eld consists of two platforms

(Snorre A and B) and one subsea template. The Snorre

Expansion Project (SEP) calls for installation of six large

subsea templates providing 24 new well slots. These

measures will increase the recovery factor from 45% to

50% in this complex reservoir.

Snorre has had three diff erent operators since produc-

tion started 1992: Saga Petroleum, Norsk Hydro, and

now Statoil. Originally, Saga anticipated that production

would cease in 2012-14. Now, the expansion project

will extend the production 30 years beyond the original

forecast. DEA Norge has a 8,57% interest in the license.

The latest temporary license extension expires in July 2018. Both the Snorre Expansion Project PDO and the license extension

approval are expected from the authorities in June 2018.

GE has announced that it will provide the Global

Thermal Generation division of Enel, Europe’s largest

power utility in terms of market capitalization, with

its Predix-based software solutions to be deployed as

predictive diagnostic tool in 14 of Enel’s thermal power

plants located in Europe and Latin America, supporting

their digitalization.

GE and Enel will deploy and optimize GE’s Asset

Performance Management (APM) software at 13

gas-fi red and 1 coal-fi red Enel’s power plants with an

overall installed capacity of 7 GW to monitor, predict

and enhance the facilities’ reliability.

GE has previously supplied Enel with advanced tech-

nologies and services agreements on assets such as

gas turbines and associated generators.

Predix is an application development platform purpose-

built by GE to meet the scale, complexity, speed and security requirements of industry. GE’s Predix-based APM software applica-

tion uses advanced predictive analytics to analyze data, detect and diagnose equipment problems before they occur, increasing

asset reliability and availability, while reducing operations and maintenance costs.


Company Updates

Jan

uary

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bru

ary

20

18

Wärtsilä delivers smart power generation under EPC

Greater Reims has renewed its contract in Veolia

BASF launches Citral website on progress of repair work

The technology group Wärtsilä will deliver a 22.7 MW Smart

Power Generation plant under a full Engineering, Procurement &

Construction (EPC) contract to Cooperative Energy, a member-

owned electric cooperative based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The

project will consist of two gas-fi red Wärtsilä 31SG engines, the fi rst

order for the world’s most effi cient gas engine. The plant located

in Benndale, Miss., will provide valuable grid support for renewable

integration for the Cooperative Energy system as well as reliability

during potential transmission outages caused by hurricanes or

other severe weather conditions.

The selection of the Smart Power Generation solution is advanta-

geous as Cooperative Energy is in the process of installing increas-

ing levels of renewable generation, notably new solar generation

into their network. The new Wärtsilä 31SG engine solution will

provide the required fl exibility for renewable integration. The plant

will replace an existing gas turbine power plant.

The equipment will be delivered to the site in 2018, and commercial operations are expected to commence in 2019.

Entering into eff ect on January

1, 2018, this nine-year contract

is worth a cumulative €95 M

for Veolia’s recycling and waste

recovery business in France.

Combining energy recovery

and environmental excellence,

this project to improve the Reims energy recovery plant will greatly benefi t the region.

As part of the contract’s renewal, €10 M will be devoted to work on improving the facility’s reliability and its energy ef-

fi ciency resulting in an overall improvement to the energy recovery plant’s total energy performance. A new turbo-alter-

nator will be installed to generate more than 12,000 MWh of recovered electricity.

Carried out by VINCI in conjunction with Reims architects LINGAT, the work will qualify for the “Greater Sustainable

Reims” label. It will become a green energy plant in its own right, thereby reducing Greater Reims’ TGAP (French tax on

polluting activities) and delivering savings estimated at €3.1 M.

Several measures will be implemented in association with Reims Champagne-Ardenne University aimed at encouraging

local biodiversity. These will include the creation of a planted discharge area irrigated with storm water where fauna and

fl ora will make the site additionally attractive.

BASF has launched a website, www.basf.com/citral-plant, to in-

form its customers, industry stakeholders and the interested public

about the progress of the repair work at its Citral production plant in

Ludwigshafen. BASF was forced to declare Force Majeure on all its

Citral and Isoprenol-based aroma ingredients and on Vitamin A and E,

and several Carotenoid products. The website also provides up-to-

date estimations of product availability after the start-up of the plant.

BASF confi rms that it still expects to start up the Citral plant in March

2018 at the earliest. The start-up procedure is expected to take sev-

eral weeks. After initiation of Citral production, downstream products

need to be manufactured in a step-wise approach.

BASF is currently supplying its existing stocks available to customers

in a fair and reasonable manner according to contractual obligations

and applicable law.

Customers that require specifi c information not covered on

the launched website are kindly asked to contact their sales

representative.

PLANT SUPPORT – NEXT LEVEL

• S+C plans and performs the complete turn around

management from blinding to de-blinding

• Professional trainings ensure optimized welds

which are important for trouble-free plant operation

• S+C experts ensure reliable performance and

quality for installation work on site

• Due to speediest response we supply replacements

and perform repairs with almost unrivalled speed

Schmidt + Clemens Group

Kaiserau 2 · 51789 Lindlar, GermanyPhone: +49 2266 92-0Fax: +49 2266 92-370 [email protected]

www.andritz.com/pumps

ANDRITZ Pumps

IoT enabled for your industry

Premium pumping technology tailored to our customers‘ requests and needs.

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